Directional brush

ABSTRACT

A small brush with an asymmetrical bristle direction is provided with an asymmetrical body shape and an asymmetrical cover shape to indicate the desired direction of brushing and the cover may be used as a handle or as a cover for the bristles.

nited States Patent [1 1 Roth [451 Apr. 2, 1974 v[ DIRECTIONAL BRUSH [76] Inventor: Eric Michael Roth, R.R. N0. 1,

Unionville, Ontario, Canada [22] Filed: Feb. 22, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 227,878

[52] US. Cl 15/184, 15/171, 15/231 [51] Int. Cl. A46b 9/02, A46b 17/04 [58] Field of Search 15/106, 107, 184, 186,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,631,562 1/1972 Kieves 15/172 3,680,168 8/1972 Krusche et a1 15/233 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 296,258 8/1928 Great Britain 15/258 117,825 2/1901 Germany 15/258 446,471 4/1936 Great Britain 15/258 479,370 2/1938 Great Britain 15/258 526,816 6/1931 Germany 15/200 812,070 8/l951 Germany 15/184 73,530 5/1948 Norway 15/258 Primary Examiner-Daniel Blurn [57] ABSTRACT A small brush with an asymmetrical bristle direction is provided with an asymmetrical body shape and an asymmetrical cover shape to indicate the desired direction of brushing and the cover may be used as a handle or as a cover for the bristles.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 2pm 3800 353 SHEET 1 0F 3 PAIENTEUAPR 21914 3,800 353 SHEET 2 0F 3 FIG. 2

SHEET 3 BF 3 PATENTEDAPR 2 I974 FIG.

DIRECTIONAL BRUSH This application relates to a brush of a type to be conveniently carried in a pocket or purse.

The brush provides a body with a bristle mounting surface from which bristles project. A surface is provided on a member, running peripherally of the body and in cross-section, taken perpendicular to the peripheral extension direction, showing straight line extents to each edge substantially parallel to the mean direction of the normals to the bristle surface. This peripheral member and surface are displaced back relative to the bristle surface so that the bristles may contact the surface to be brushed.

There is provided a cover member having a wall which may be applied frictionally to the peripheral surface from either of two directions. When the cover member is applied to'the peripheral wall from the direction, and in the orientation to leave the bristle surface exposed, then it provides a convenient manual means for manually operating the brush. When the cover is applied to the peripheral surface, from the direction, and in the orientation to cover the bristles, and the cover is dimensioned to accomplish this, then the cover provides a convenient protection for the bristles when the brush is not in use.

The principal application of the brush is thought to be that application where the bristles are not normal to the surface from which they project but are intended to slope at a predetermined angle to such normal (which they do subject to a small number of exceptions due to manufacturing variation). In this arrangement the brush has a proper direction for brushing wherein the brush contacts a surface moving so the bristle ends are advanced over the roots and a proper direction for cleaning, wherein the brush contacts a surface moving so the bristle ends are trailing the roots. In a preferred form of the invention, the cover member is made asymmetrical about a plane perpendicular to the intended brushing direction so that, to the eye or to the hand, it is indicated in which way the brush should be moved.

In drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention:

FIG. I shows the body component parts in the relationship which they bear to each other;

FIG. 2 shows the cover member aligned for application to the body;

FIG. 3 shows the cover member applied to the body; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-section along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 3.

Cooperating inner and outer members and 12 form the brush body. The outer member 12 of the body is provided with a main wall 14 and a peripheral side wall defining peripheral surface 16 extending downwardly therefrom. The body member 12 is provided with posts 18 extending downwardly from the inner surface of its main wall parallel to the surface 16 for insertion in the corresponding bores 20 in the inner body member 10. The inner body member 10 is provided with a main wall 21 and upwardly extending posts 22 with central bores 20 to receive the complementary posts 18 on the other body member to allow connection of the inner and out members. The connection of posts 18 to the walls of bores 20 may be frictional but the attachment preferably uses an adhesive between the posts 18 and the bore surfaces. Such adhesive will be suited to the materials used. Plastic is preferred (because of low production cost) for the inner and outer body members and for the cover member to be described hereafter. The plastic which it is preferred to use is high impact styrene.

The lower body member 10 is provided with short upwardly extending peripheral walls 24 approximately perpendicular to the bottom wall. The upwardly extending peripheral walls 24 are provided with outwardly directed tines 30 which are dimensioned to approach, in the assembled position of inner and outer members very closely to the inner surface of the downwardly extending peripheral wall of the outer body member 12.

Fabric 26 for providing a brushing surface is then stretched over the main wall 21 of the inner body member 10, preferably with suitable padding 28 as shown, and retains its position when the complementary posts 18 and bores 20 are connected by being held between the outwardly extending tines 30 of the inner body member 10 and the adjacent wall of the upper body member.

The fabric preferred for use with the invention has sloping bristles in a pile fabric. The pile fabric which it is preferred to use as the bristle forming member with this invention is produced by nylon strings woven through a cotton backing to provide at the intended.

front of the fabric, nylon string extents between stitch apertures which are double the pile length required.

These extents are then cut to produce the piles and these are panned which is the application of a heated surface to the piles in one sense to produce the required slant.

Inter alia, this material may be obtained through Collins & Aikman Corporation, Ca-vel Division Ca-vel, North Carolina, U.S.A. 271 l2.

The bristles formed as above, or in a different manner will all be intended to slope in the same direction relative to the normals to the bristle mounting surface. The outer surface of the outer body member wall defines a peripheral surface 16 preferably approximately perpendicular to the general attitude of the bristle mounting surface. The peripheral wall extends the majority of the distance around but preferably not completely around the body member. Preferably, the peripheral surface is located midway between the main wall 14 of the outer body member and the main wall 21 of the inner body member. The surface 16 is provided with an outwardly extending ridge 27 which acts as a stop for application of a cover member thereto from either the upper direction to act as a manual grasping means during brushing or from the lower direction to cover the bristle surface.

The outer body member 12 is preferably, but not necessarily diamond shaped. With the diamond shaped member 12, one of the oblique corners has its surface 16 raised at 29 to the height of the ridge 27 for an extent on each side of the comer and the raised portion is extended onto wall 14 to simulate the appearance of an arrowhead.

The contour 26 of the bristle surface, as best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, although curved may be considered as defining, by its attitude, a mean plane. In this orientation, the mean plane is parallel to the wall 14. In the differing contours of other bristle surfaces within the scope of the invention, a mean plane will also be defined, which mean plane forms a useful frame of reference in defining the invention.

HO. 5 is included to indicate that the bristle tips are displaced from the bristle roots in a direction (the brushing direction herein) which is parallel to the direction indicated by the raised portion 29. Since the bristle slope, will vary due to surface contour and individual bristle variation, the term mean bristle slope will indicate the average. Similarly the term mean normal to the bristle surface means the average of the normals which will vary with surface contour.

A cover member 40 is provided for the body and the cover member 40 comprises a main wall 42 adapted to overlie either the bristle surface or the surface of the body remote therefrom. Extending transversely from wall 42 is a peripheral wall 44 having an inner surface 46 designed to make a frictional sliding fit with the peripheral surface 16 of the body member on the extent, either above or below the ridge 27 and using the ridge as a stop. The cover member has it peripheral wall shaped at an oblique corner 41 on the inside, as shown, to overlie the shaped projection at 29, on the body member. The cover is on the outside, at 43 shaped in similarity to the body outer member, that is, to simulate, at the shaped oblique corner, an arrow or chisel head on the side wall and an arrow on the top wall.

The depth of the cover member 40 is defined by the height of side walls 46, is designed so that when the cover members frictionally attach over the extent of the surface 16 opposite wall 14, it will cover the bristle surface and protect it when the brush is not in use, so that the device may be carried in the pocket. When the brush is in use, the cover member may be detached and applied to the opposite extent surface 16 of the brush, to provide a convenient manual grasping means. It will be noted that the symmetry and asymmetry of the cover conforms to that of the outer body member as discussed.

The asymmetry displayed for the specific embodiment, will in accord with the invention, have general application to various shapes of brushes. Such brushes will as shown in the specific embodiment, have a peripheral surface which receives slidably, the inner surface of the cover member. The outer member of the brush body, along with the cover member will be shaped to display mirror symmetry about a plane perpendicular to the brushing surface and parallel to the intended brushing direction. The outer member of the brush body and the cover member will, on the other hand, be asymmetrical about a plane perpendicular to the brushing surface and perpendicular to the plane of symmetry. Due to the asymmetry in the design, it will be noted that two things occur. Firstly, the cover member must be applied in the correct orientation to the upper half of the brush surface since it cannot be applied in the opposite orientation. Moreover, once this has been done, when held in the hand, the direction for brushing is indicated both to the touch and to the eye, and for this purpose the bristles are sloped so that they are advanced over their roots in the direction indicated by the arrowhead.

I claim:

1. A brush comprising:

a body defining opposed sides,

means defining a surface on one side of said body,

carrying bristles;

said surface defining normals thereto;

bristles mounted to project from said surface, the majority extending therefrom at an angle to the normal direction of such surface at the point of projection of the bristle therefrom and at approximately the same angle of slope thereto;

whereby the advance of such bristle tips over the roots corresponds to an intended brushing direction,

a peripheral surface having straight line contours extending the majority of the distance about said body outward of said bristles shaped to slidably receive a cover member slid part way over said surface both from the side on which said bristles are exposed and from the opposite side,

said bristles and bristle carrying surface being displaced from the other portions of said body including said peripheral surface, so that the majority of said bristles are free to contact a surface to be brushed;

a cover member comprising a main wall and a peripheral wall having straight line contours extending transversely to said main wall and extending about the periphery thereof;

said body peripheral surface and said cover member peripheral wall being dimensioned so that the inner surface of said cover member peripheral wall may slide over a portion of said body peripheral surface either from the side with said surface or from the opposite side,

said cover member being dimensioned to cover, after application to the body peripheral surface in one direction, said bristles,

and being dimensioned to cover, after application to the body peripheral surface in the other direction, said body on the opposite side from said bristles;

wherein said body peripheral surface and cover peripheral wall display mirror symmetry about a first plane transverse to said peripheral surface;

wherein said body surface and cover peripheral wall are asymmetrical about a second plane perpendicular to said first plane and to said intended brushing direction;

and said cover member is designed to display, when covering said body on the opposite side from said bristle, an indication of said intended brushing direction. 

1. A brush comprising: a body defining opposed sides, means defining a surface on one side of said body, carrying bristles; said surface defining normals thereto; bristles mounted to project from said surface, the majority extending therefrom at an angle to the normal direction of such surface at the point of projection of the bristle therefrom and at approximately the same angle of slope thereto; whereby the advance of such bristle tips over the roots corresponds to an intended brushing direction, a peripheral surface having straight line contours extending the majority of the distance about said body outward of said bristles shaped to slidably receive a cover member slid part way over said surface both from the side on which said bristles are exposed and from the opposite side, said bristles and bristle carrying surface being displaced from the other portions of said body including said peripheral surface, so that the majority of said bristles are free to contact a surface to be brushed; a cover member comprising a main wall and a peripheral wall having straight line contours extending transversely to said main wall and extending about the periphery thereof; said body peripheral surface and said cover member peripheral wall being dimensioned so that the inner surface of said cover member peripheral wall may slide over a portion of said body peripheral surface either from the side with said surface or from the opposite side, said cover member being dimensioned to cover, after application to the body peripheral surface in one direction, said bristles, and being dimensioned to cover, after application to the body peripheral surface in the other direction, said body on the opposite side from said bristles; wherein said body peripheral surface and cover peripheral wall display mirror symmetry about a first plane transverse to said peripheral surface; wherein said body surface and cover peripheral wall are asymmetrical about a second plane perpendicular to said first plane and to said intended brushing direction; and said cover member is designed to display, when covering said body on the opposite side from said bristle, an indication of said intended brushing direction. 